Flexwatt in divided T8

I am getting flexwatt to replace my heat lamps, two questions: what size should I get? My local supplier sells 11" & 6". I was thinking about running 11" down the middle divider so both sides could reach it. Will this work? Also how long roughly after plugging in the flexwatt will it reach the t-stat temp so I can start dialing it up or down based on the thermometer reading in the cage?

The heat tape creates great belly heat hot spot, but it won't provide any ambient heat. So unless your room stays at 75-80 i'd suggest a radient heat pannel (RHP).

I'd definitely run two feet of 11" heat tape. I'd wait a good hour after turning it on to adjust the temperature. Start at 90 degrees and then go up if you need to.

I've done my T8s two ways. 1) 11" strip down the middle of the divide like you're describing; and 2) 11" strip lengthwise along the bottom/back. After I changed from down the middle, I realized I preferred the 11" strip down the middle over the 11" strip across the back. However, I believe I would have had better results had I gone with a smaller strip across the bottom. In order of my experience/preference:

1. 6" strip (or smaller - 3 or 4") along the bottom towards the back (4 feet worth)
2. 11" strip down the middle of the divider (2 feet worth)

As far as how long, I always paid attention to my Herpstat. Once it stopped fluctuating and settled into place, I started using my temp gun to get a baseline hot spot reading and adjusting from there. Typically this didn't take any longer than an hour. I'd make my adjustment and then wait another hour then do readings again with my gun. As long as I was smart about my first adjustment, that's about all it would take to dial it in. The Herpstats are the thermostat of choice for a reason - they're solid as a rock for keeping accurate temperatures.

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Originally Posted by Mr. Misha

The heat tape creates great belly heat hot spot, but it won't provide any ambient heat. So unless your room stays at 75-80 i'd suggest a radient heat pannel (RHP).

I'd definitely run two feet of 11" heat tape. I'd wait a good hour after turning it on to adjust the temperature. Start at 90 degrees and then go up if you need to.

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My house stays between 68 (lowest temp in winter) and 75 (hottest temp in summer) with temps normally in 72 to 74 range so I'm going to try without a RHP for awhile and see how that goes. I'm gonna have two fluorescent lights, one on each side for daytime light so that will also help a few degrees.

Eric, can you explain why you preferred the back to the middle? I've heard people like one or the other but never their reason why.

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Originally Posted by RobertsKitty

Eric, can you explain why you preferred the back to the middle? I've heard people like one or the other but never their reason why.

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I prefer having it along the back vs the middle because of the glass front of the T8s. When I had it in the middle, my BPs were typically found towards the middle in the back when they would be on their hot spot - never towards the middle in the front. Everything else being equal in the T8, my belief is that they were more comfortable towards the back where it was that much more dark and secure feeling for them (which is why I switched from the middle to along the back).

Having said that (and reading it myself), one could make the argument for having it down the middle which creates 4 zones (dark/cool, dark/warm, light/cool, light/warm) vs only 2 zones if the heat's across the back (dark/warm, light/cool). My recommendation is if you don't go down the middle, go with something smaller than 11" down the back - it's entirely too wide and creates too large of a hot spot for them. :)

Im just here, simply because i saw your last post, about a cheap heat pad less then $40. RHPs are relatively expensive. Aswell You don't want to use one with a cheap or no thermostat, So you'd need to roughly save up 180$ for both of those for your cage.

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Originally Posted by CORBIN911

Im just here, simply because i saw your last post, about a cheap heat pad less then $40. RHPs are relatively expensive. Aswell You don't want to use one with a cheap or no thermostat, So you'd need to roughly save up 180$ for both of those for your cage.

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If it's really so important for you to know, I received a thermostat from a friend as a loan till I save up for my own and if you actually read my last post you would have seen I found a local supplier of flexwatt and as I stated in this thread because our house stays warm I don't think I will NEED a RHP.

While I am not exactly sure what your reason for posting is, if you're not helping answer the question please find somewhere else to post.

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Originally Posted by RobertsKitty

If it's really so important for you to know, I received a thermostat from a friend as a loan till I save up for my own and if you actually read my last post you would have seen I found a local supplier of flexwatt and as I stated in this thread because our house stays warm I don't think I will NEED a RHP.

While I am not exactly sure what your reason for posting is, if you're not helping answer the question please find somewhere else to post.

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People are very sensitive lately, I was telling you about the cost, nowhere did i say DO THIS THIS THIS...If you look i was saying that RHP are pricey, Suggesting that Flexxwat is better option (if given having a thermostat) Which IMO Husbandry should always be purchased first. And best of luck with your plant heater(hydro farm) I assume by your other post.

Please try to save up with 5-10$ week for a herpstat, and i promise you, that you will thank later, as of how amazing it actually is to have the comfort of knowing your snake, will be safe. With PROPER fail safes.

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Originally Posted by CORBIN911

People are very sensitive lately, I was telling you about the cost, nowhere did i say DO THIS THIS THIS...If you look i was saying that RHP are pricey, Suggesting that Flexxwat is better option (if given having a thermostat) Which IMO Husbandry should always be purchased first. And best of luck with your plant heater(hydro farm) I assume by your other post.

Please try to save up with 5-10$ week for a herpstat, and i promise you, that you will thank later, as of how amazing it actually is to have the comfort of knowing your snake, will be safe. With PROPER fail safes.

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The one I borrowed is a herpstat 4. At no point in your previous post did you say anything about flexwatt or offer any helpful suggestions and you were and continue to be rude so I will no longer be replying to your posts unless you have actual helpful answers about the question I asked.

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Originally Posted by RobertsKitty

The one I borrowed is a herpstat 4. At no point in your previous post did you say anything about flexwatt or offer any helpful suggestions and you were and continue to be rude so I will no longer be replying to your posts unless you have actual helpful answers about the question I asked.

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Guess explaining in last post about the ups/downs of quality and telling you not to waste 40$ on storebought heat pad, and telling you about the heat tape... Ohwell best up luck =)

RobertsKitty, you don't have to run a herpstat 4 there are thousands of Hydrofarms/Zillas keeping reptiles regulated world wide.
Personally I would run about 18" of 11" along the back so you would have about 9x11" on each side.
Just keep in mind that heat tape doesn't really do much for ambient temps.
The lighting you want to use might help from the heat off the ballast but I don't know how much it will raise the temp.

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Originally Posted by PitOnTheProwl

RobertsKitty, you don't have to run a herpstat 4 there are thousands of Hydrofarms/Zillas keeping reptiles regulated world wide.
Personally I would run about 18" of 11" along the back so you would have about 9x11" on each side.
Just keep in mind that heat tape doesn't really do much for ambient temps.
The lighting you want to use might help from the heat off the ballast but I don't know how much it will raise the temp.

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It's the one I could get in a pinch so it will do for now, besides everyone on here either hasn't heard of them or thinks they are crap so... I've done some testing on the unoccupied side and the fluorescent seems to raise the temp about 4 degrees which should do well for the cool side but I plan on running it and keeping testing all weekend to make sure it's stable before returning the snakes back in.

I will either do the 18" along the back or the one up the middle. I feel like up the middle they don't have much room to fully lay on the heat but I like them having a choice of light or dark. Loki seems to prefer his hide in the light but Thor prefers as close to full darkness as possible!

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Originally Posted by RobertsKitty

It's the one I could get in a pinch so it will do for now, besides everyone on here either hasn't heard of them or thinks they are crap so... I've done some testing on the unoccupied side and the fluorescent seems to raise the temp about 4 degrees which should do well for the cool side but I plan on running it and keeping testing all weekend to make sure it's stable before returning the snakes back in.

I will either do the 18" along the back or the one up the middle. I feel like up the middle they don't have much room to fully lay on the heat but I like them having a choice of light or dark. Loki seems to prefer his hide in the light but Thor prefers as close to full darkness as possible!

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I will agree, when i used PVC cage, i did use florescent to increase ambient, You get roughly +/-3 degrees, But make sure they are or have the plastic covers, I had ones without it, and it temped extremely hot, So went back and purchased a fixture with the protective plastic.

Aswell you could get 2 6" strips and wire them together OR wire them seperatly and place them on a power bar/extension cord with 2 plugs, and plug it in to 1 Herpstat inlet, That way they both monitored off 1 probe.

The fluorescent lights I have are the ones AP sells with their cages so it came with the cover already so no problems there.

As for the two 6" flexwatt I thought about doing something like that but it would almost double my price so I'm thinking of sticking with the 11" option though I honestly still haven't picked which I plan to do yet. My supplier sells by the foot so both options will cost the same so I'm just thinking which my two babies will prefer! Since I haven't had Thor long I don't know her preferences like I do Loki. At first she preferred her dark hide but the last two days she's been chilling in the light so who knows! :P

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Originally Posted by RobertsKitty

The fluorescent lights I have are the ones AP sells with their cages so it came with the cover already so no problems there.

As for the two 6" flexwatt I thought about doing something like that but it would almost double my price so I'm thinking of sticking with the 11" option though I honestly still haven't picked which I plan to do yet. My supplier sells by the foot so both options will cost the same so I'm just thinking which my two babies will prefer! Since I haven't had Thor long I don't know her preferences like I do Loki. At first she preferred her dark hide but the last two days she's been chilling in the light so who knows! :P

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Yea both will be rougly the same 6" is alot cheaper per foot then 11" anyways, and aswell you need 2 feet of each, And it is sizeable, (Cut between the black lines) to get the size youd like, the only thing that'd cost more is needed the Clips/wire. But even for 2 6" wired would rougly be like 10$ each if that?

I dont see why you would want to run two pieces of anything. One piece of either size will work and then you only have two connections to solder.

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Originally Posted by CORBIN911

Yea both will be rougly the same 6" is alot cheaper per foot then 11" anyways, and aswell you need 2 feet of each, And it is sizeable, (Cut between the black lines) to get the size youd like, the only thing that'd cost more is needed the Clips/wire. But even for 2 6" wired would rougly be like 10$ each if that?

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Actually at my supplier the 6" is only a dollar cheaper so it's not really a big deal to get the next size. It's getting two that's the problem. They charge a base fee of $9 for the six inch and $10 for the 11" then a dollar per foot after but if I got a second separate one I'd have to do the base fee again. The base fee includes getting it soldered however you need and such.

I know there are cheaper options online but for me to get it at the time I want to is worth more to me than saving some to ship it. Plus it's a local mom and pop kinda store and since much of my family is self employed I support family owned places whenever possible.

Oh 100% whichever works better. If you or someone is handy with saudering you could just buy 2 feet and have them sauder the cords for you (I think cords are 2-3$ per at hardwear stores)

But if not yea just go with the 12" for now. Both will work


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I think I'm going to do a bit of both because my lights are going to be mounted in the side walls so I think I will get the 11" and get two feet to mount along the back wall so they each have roughly (when you take out the amount the divider blocks) an 11" x 11" basking area. That should be big enough even for my big Loki boy who broke into 1,000 grams as of last night's weigh in! :gj: and he's not even two yet so I'll be excited to see if he's done or still got some to go.